The Cleverest Students
by wordsthinker
Summary: "She knew him very well. John Bates was a romantic man and he would never forget their 4th anniversary. She knew he wouldn't. " - One-shot based on terriejane and awesomegreentie prompt on tumblr


**This one is for lemacd123. R &R**

 **I don't own Anna or John or some of the quotes that are in there...**

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Anna May Smith never was a morning person. Since she was a little girl, her favorite days were those she could sleep until she wake naturally. However, life sometimes requires sacrifices, and so, Anna had to wake early everyday to go to work. Even if against her will, after ten minutes, her bad mood was soon forgotten, and she was ready to start her day.

As a primary teacher, she knew how important it was to be in a good mood. While working with hers 5 years old students, she always tried to keep her smile on, encouraging her pupils to do their best.

Anna put her bag above her table at the class. No one had arrived yet, there was still a few minutes before the children start to arrive, and she decided to check her phone.

No messages. Neither calls.

Anna sighed lightly. That didn't mean John had forgotten about their anniversary. He was a busy man, and he had had a late appointment last night, perhaps he was still sleeping. Or he was in a important meeting with Robert already... Anyway, she tried to not be disappointed.

She knew him very well. John Bates was a romantic man and he would never forget their 4th anniversary. She knew he wouldn't.

But, maybe, she could call him. If he was still sleeping it would be nice to wake with her call, right?

 _No,_ Anna thought. _He must be tired. He left the office the other night just after midnight. Let him sleep, and don't be selfish._

Her mobile buzzed in her hand. A new text. It could be John's. She opened quickly, but soon her excitement was over. It was from Mary and it didn't make any sense.

 _"Don't leave your class. - M"_

" _What? What do you mean? - A"_

Her answer arrived before a few seconds after

 _"Just stay where you are. - M"_

 _"Ok. - A"_

Anna had no idea what Marry was up to, but she didn't want to ask either. All she wanted was to give her class, and then go home, have a shower and wait for John to pick her up at seven. They would go to a nice restaurant and after that, they could go to her place...

The time on her screen startled her. Her class must have started twenty minutes ago, but where were her students? There was no one in the room. And then, Mary's text made sense.

 _"Do you have anything to do with my missing pupils? - A"_

Anna texted her best friend but she didn't get the answer. Instead, her cell buzzed again. This time, oddly, it was the reminder app. She hadn't put any reminder for that morning. She opened anyway.

" _Don't forget how much I love you. - J"_

She couldn't stop the biggest smile on her face. So, John hadn't forget about their anniversary. But, how had he put that reminder on her phone? It didn't matter, it was so sweet of him. _Of course I won't forget, silly-beggar._ How could she forget the most wonderful man she ever met in her entire life? She loved John more than she ever thought it was possible to love somebody, and that night she would show him how much that means.

"'Morning, Miss Smith." Nina entered the room smiling. She was one of her pupils, and Anna noticed she had something different on her hands.

"Good Morning, Nina." The child approached her table and gave to her a wooden block. "What is this?"

"Letter block." She said smiling. Anna knew that block was part of the set she used to teach them new words. The piece Nina gave her, was a red **M**.

"How did you get this?"

"It's a secret." Nina giggled trying to cover her mouth with her hands.

"Ok." Anna said curiously. "Do you know where your friends are?"

Nina giggled again. "It's a secret." She repeated.

Before Anna could say anything else, Jimmy, another pupil entered the room. The child got her attention as he too had a wooden block in his hand.

"Hi, Jimmy. Why are you late this morning?"

"Can't tell, Miss Smith." He said with a serious expression. "This is for you."

"Why, thank you. But what is this?" Anna asked accepting the block, this time, a yellow **A**. She put it next to the other one.

"Can't tell." Jimmy was quickly to go to his table, beside Nina. They looked at each other with their eyes shining, like they were indeed, keeping a precious secret.

"Ok. So, I'm not sure if anyone else is coming today..." Anna got up to write on the board, but soon, she heard someone running inside the class. It was Sybbie. "Sybbie, what..." The girl let another block in Anna's table and ran to her place. "Seriously, what is happening here?" Anna eyed each one of them carefully.

"It's a secret, Miss Smith." Nina answered.

"Yeah, it looks like a big secret, Nina." Anna said crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Don't be mad at us, Miss Smith. It's a good secret." The sweet voice who said it, made Anna look to the door. Lily was stand with both of her hands holding one more block, eyeing her favorite teacher with a big smile.

"Lily, darling. I..."

"I want to give mine too!" Theo interrupted Anna with his almost-screaming voice.

"Wait, I need to give mine first!" Lily said in her _bossy tone._ Both of them handed to Anna their pieces.

And then she froze.

Anna joined the letters on her table. What was all that about? Sybbie and Lilie had brought a yellow **R** each one of them, and the word was completed with Theo's blue **Y.**

She was completely speechless. Her eyes were glued on the blocks above her table, and she barely noticed when another toddler entered the room and put another **M** block on her table. Her mind couldn't understand what was happening.

"This is the last one, Miss Smith." Anna looked up to found Tom handing her an red **E.** "You can form a sentence now."

Anna looked to her class then. All her students were seated in their places, each one of them with a big smile on.

"Children... What..." On her table, the wooden blocks were forming simply two words:

 **M-A-R-R-Y M-E**

And even if she knew their meaning, she couldn't believe it. She sat on her chair perplexed, trying to understand what was happening. And then, she heard his voice.

"You have the cleverest students I know, Miss Smith." Anna could recognize that voice anywhere in the world without looking at it. She heard the children giggling happily, but didn't pay too much attention. Her eyes were still glued on the blocks above her table.

When she looked up, she found John right in the middle of her class, a boyish grin on his face and both of his hands on his jeans pockets. There was a part of her that wasn't understanding what was happening, although she had a pretty good idea where those blocks had come from.

"Don't I know how clever they are, Mr. Bates..." Anna got up from her chair and made her way closer to John. "You planned this?"

"Yes." She thought she had never seen him with a more beautiful smile on his face.

"Mr. Bates, is this a proposal?"

"If that's how you want to call it. And you might start calling me John." It took a second to Anna process his words. She could feel her eyes tearing. "And I know how important your students are for you, so I asked each one of them for their permission."

"You told them you want to marry me?" Anna arched her eyebrow lightly.

"I did."

"Before you spoke to me?" John expression became serious.

"You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course I mind." Anna answered a little bit louder than she should. Her expression was exactly the reflection of her feelings. "In fact, I'd give you a smack if I didn't want to kiss you so much I could burst."

The look John gave her, was one Anna would never forget. It was full of tenderness and happiness, the promise of a whole life together ahead of them. John caressed her cheek with his left hand, their faces coming together naturally, but before they could kiss, Theo said out loud:

"He is going to kiss her." The child made a disgusted face followed by his colleagues who made funny sounds.

Anna and John looked to the children, and when their eyes met again, she burst in giggles. Her forehead came to rest on John's shoulder, he welcomed her in his embrace, holding her close. When she calmed down, she looked up to his face again, he was still grinning.

"I love you." She said softly.

"I love you too, darling." He said before kissing her forehead lightly.


End file.
